Research about Circular Economy in Italy for packaging

The report presents the results of a research commissioned by CONAI in the year 2016 at “Istituto di Gestione della Scuola Sant’Anna di Pisa” and “IEFE Bocconi Circulatory Observatory (GEO)”.
The research involved company members of CONAI with more than one million euros turnover and more than 10 employees, with the aim of understanding the level of adoption of circular principles in the different phases of the production process, from the supply of raw materials to product design, production and distribution. The research focused on the four main categories of CONAI member companies, such as:

pacakaging producers;

industrial packaging users;

distributors/wholesaleers;

producers of secondary raw materials

Each phase of the circular economy – supply, design, production, distribution and use – as defined by the European Commission – was treated in a section of the research in which the level of adoption of the Circular Economy practices by companies was measured by using specific key performance indicators (KPIs). It was also considered the implementation levels of a set of actions aimed at circularity, today and in perspective.
Another aim was to understand why companies adopt virtuous behaviors, what are the barriers and difficulties that prevent them from implementing the path to full circularity, and what actions are needed to support the transition from a linear enterprise strategy to a more sustainable,circular approach.